MURDER MYSTERY: Highland castle grabs starring role in BBC reality TV show The Traitors fronted by Claudia Winkleman
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INTRIGUE, back-stabbing and murder might seem unlikely ingredients for a major publicity boost for a posh Easter Ross venue.
But happily for stunning Ardross Castle, the shady shenanigans are the product of a prime time reality TV show fronted by one of the most recognised faces on television.
The Traitors – which next airs tonight (Thursday) on BBC 1 – is described in the Beeb's blurb as "a nail-biting psychological competition" presented by Claudia Winkleman in a somewhat different guise to the glitzy one witnessed week in and out by millions on mega-hit, Strictly.
The 19th century baronial-style castle set in formal gardens and over 100 acres of parkland on the banks of the River Alness is described in its website blurb as "the perfect location for any event".
While those tend towards weddings, conferences and as a corporate event venue, it's currently being introduced to millions of viewers as the spectacular backdrop to a 12-part series which begins with Winkleman welcoming 22 strangers as they arrive open-jawed at the palatial spread.
They're there to play "the ultimate game of detection, backstabbing and trust", in the hope of winning up to £120,000.
The excited hopefuls are shown making their way to Easter Ross through stunning scenery in a sequence that must have left Scottish tourism chiefs drooling with delight.
The upbeat atmosphere is swiftly pricked as Winkleman immediately springs a psychological hammer blow that leaves the hopes of two candidates in tatters...
Hidden amongst them are The Traitors whose job is to secretly murder a player every night, without getting caught.
It’s up to the others – the Faithfuls – to try to detect who the traitors are, and banish them from the game, before they become their next victim.
For the lucky ones who survive to the end, they "have the chance of winning that life-changing cash".
But if a Traitor remains undetected, they’ll take all the money.
The Faithfuls role is to try and work out who is betraying them and eliminate them from the game, because every day all the players also meet at a Round Table and vote to 'banish' the player they most suspect of being a traitor. This is where the role of herd mentality can become frighteningly transparent...
Speaking about the show – and her growing love affair with the Highlands – Winkleman said: "The production was amazing in the fact that everybody has to leave the castle at midnight and they all leave individually and are taken back to their dwellings and then the Traitors come back without anybody knowing.
"It was honestly a military operation. And there was never even a close shave or anything. Hats off to them! The only thing that mattered was the secrecy, we didn't even use the word Traitors on set just in case anyone let anything slip. Me and the crew on set used different words which I can't possibly tell you. But we were so so careful."
She may be best associated with glitzy high profile celebrity events around London but three weeks in the Highlands was absolutely no chore.
She said: "I thought I've been to beautiful places. I have never been anywhere more beautiful than the Scottish highlands in my life. It felt sometimes like we were in a painting if that's not too cheesy. "And on the first day the weather systems were bonkers. I mean, at one point I went on my weather app and it literally just said no idea mate good luck, take a bikini and a cagoule.
"On day two, we saw a double rainbow and everyone was like 'oh my gosh', and the crew were crying, there were baby deer, there was beautiful heather, there were ancient trees, and a loch. We were all taking pictures. I FaceTimed my kids to say 'you've never seen anything like it's magical'. It’s just the most beautiful landscape."
The Traitors is on BBC 1 Scotland tonight at 9pm and on the iPlayer.
